Introduction - Surprise... your off to Las Vegas!

[joanneclaire]

Introduction / Pre Trip

Well, Ive been a member of the Dibb since 2003, however never actually done a trip report before, I guess if I had they would all be pretty much the same anyway, fly to Orlando, clean, paint, maintain our homes = work LOL so pretty boring and not worthy of reading

This time however, we are off to Las Vegas for the very first time, so here it is at last my very first trip report Ive named it Surprise ... your off to Las Vegas simply because for the last 12 months'ish ive pretty much lied and deceived my DH ... all with good intentions mind

Although we've just returned from our Las Vegas trip, before I started on my trip report I thought Id best do an introduction and explain events leading upto the surprise and our trip.

Over the last 12 months in particular ive been researching, planning & booking in secret, also at this point I would like to personally thank everyone who has done a trip report on Las Vegas before, as well as the comprehensive Las Vegas information and threads made available by certain 'Dibbers' and also those who have messaged me information. You all helped me in my secret task and made things a little easier My life revolved for some time on early mornings and late nights here on the Dibb looking through stuff over and over again.

The reason behind all the secrecy... its was my DH - Tony 40th birthday on 22 March 2009 ! Not only did I lie to him but also led him into a false sense of security that we were actually going to go our villa in Orlando over his 40th birthday so we would be 'out of the way' from anyone pulling any fast ones on him LOL ... o bless him he fell hook line and sinker!

So he thought we were flying to Orlando for 14 nights from the 18th March ... wrong!

We actually flew Virgin direct from Gatwick to Las Vegas for 6 nights, then flew Las Vegas to Orlando via Southwest Airlines for 9 nights before returning home on Virgin from Orlando to Manchester. (Manchester been our closest home airport anyway)

The first thing I booked was our flights with Expedia back in Sep 08 whilst DH was out, at the time they had an offer on for any Virgin flight booked each person would receive a £50 duty free voucher, flights were £419 each, but if you took off the £50 then realistically you could say the actual cost was £369 per person.

From around mid January 09 I had been watching the internal flights from LV to Orlando with Southwest, at the start of me looking the range was around $200 per person, however, one evening I was looking and it had dropped to $89 per person, so I got giddy and ran for my CC to book them, this was one of the closest times I came to been rumbled as Tony was downstairs, I opened up numerous websites with the plan that if he came upstairs before I had finished, I could simply shrink the flight page and pretend to be looking at something else LOL, you know this must have been the longest flight booking ever! each page seemed to take forever to get through and just as I had finished I heard footsteps coming upstairs, it was so close, but I just got away with it and booked us some bargain flights!

I had already decided that I wanted to stay at the MGM Grand, so had been looking at all the different offers available, I had been informed that the best time to start looking for the offers was around 3 months prior to travel which I did, I booked the MGM Grand on an offer - Grand Tower Room $521 inc taxes for 6 nights, this included a $35 dining voucher, 15% off spa treatments and free entry into any of their nightclubs.

I had a secret file at my sisters so I could keep everything safe and away from spying eyes and all the internet stuff was set up to reply to my sisters email address.

Well, not only did I lie to him about his holiday, I also organised him a surprise party here in the UK the weekend before we flew to Las Vegas, LOL bless he walked straight into his party so innocent until he realised everyone in the room he knew, family, friends old and new all waiting for him to open the door LOL, I know naughty arnt I but he forgave me after he picked his chin up off the floor!

It was at his party that I told him that he was actually going to Las Vegas for his 40th Birthday ! woo hooo Vegas here we come !

Whilst emotional, it was such a huge relief that finally we had got Tony to his party after so long planning without him knowing, it had been a huge task for the family but we made it

Ive attached a pic of his birthday cake I made him

[Tinklfly]

Well planned. Hope you had a great time.

Heather

[Sarah84]

Fantastic surpirse and well done on keeping it one. Look forward to reading more

[Jools]

Now that must have taken some doing - well done you

I love Tony's birthday cake

[Helen uk]

Think im gonna enjoy this report How the heck did you keep quiet ...I couldnt...loose lips thats me

[Guest]

fantasic looking forward to reading the rest. The cake is amazing a woman of many talents

[Guest]

Good God - secretive or what - love the cake!

[travelmam]

Brilliant surprise, love the cake.

[2waterford]

Fab cake. Well done for pulling it all together.